Step 1: Visual Identification of System Type

Bundle Units

A bundle unit is an "all-in-one" system that does everything in ane large box. You can best identify the package unit of measurement by looking at the unit (outdoors). If you have a package unit you volition notice a large hood fabricated of metal that looks like a box betwixt the unit of measurement and your firm. This is called the rain shield and it protects the ductwork from rain, debris, and critters. Because a package unit of measurement is all-in-ane box the supply and render ducts connect right to the unit and the heated or conditioned air is delivered correct into the house.

The actual expect will vary based on equipment just when you can see the metal box between the unit of measurement and the house like the picture beneath y'all've got a package unit of measurement.

Split up System

The dissever A/C and Furnace is the type of system most people are familiar with. In this setup the outdoor unit of measurement has the shape that most people associate the air-conditioners. This is the condensing unit. Within, usually in the cranium, crawlspace, or closet is the component that contains the blower, furnace (if equipped) and evaporator coil.  The condensing unit will be located outside the house and has a more traditional wait, similar to the picture beneath.

Step two: Identifying the Make, Model, Age, and Size

To place the make, model, historic period, and size y'all volition need to notice the manufacturers label. Do this on the outdoor unit, whether information technology's a split system or package arrangement. On a package arrangement it is usually on the right side of the equipment, near where the gas and power connect to the system. On a split organisation the label is frequently found on the same side as the refrigerant lines enter the system. On some older systems almost the bottom right above the lines on newer systems closer to the top.

On this label you lot'll discover lots of numbers and messages. The ones nosotros are most interested in are the model and serial numbers. From these we can determine the historic period, size, and type of equipment.

Make and Model:

The make should be pretty easy to effigy out. Unremarkably they have a logo prominently placed. If not, information technology tin can exist constitute on the label pretty easily. The model is designated as a field on the characterization and is piece of cake to identify. Each manufacturer categorizes their equipment differently. Some like Trane encode the efficiency of the equipment in the model, others do non. You lot can look up the model of your equipment, its features and efficiency using the model and make on the characterization and Google.

Size:

Basically all manufacturers encode the size or tonnage of their systems into the model number. Tonnage is a measure of BTU's in 12,000 BTU increments. For example a 1 ton arrangement would have 12,000 BTU'south. A two.v ton system would have thirty,000 BTU's. These are reflected in the model numbers almost the middle and often followed by a letter of the alphabet.

Below are a couple examples to look at:

38EZA048310 is a Carrier 48,000 BTU or 4 ton organization

4TTZ0048A1000AA is a Trane 48,000 BTU or 4 ton organisation

If you are unable to read the characterization you can expect downwards into the condensing unit from the superlative to run across the compressor and ofttimes use the compressor office number to determine the tonnage using Google.

Age:

The historic period is more often than not encoded into the serial number. Many manufacturers practice it differently and most accept changed the way they practice it over the years. Below are the most pop brands and how they encode the year within the concluding twenty years or so. For older equipment Google tin can be pretty helpful.

Carrier/Payne/Bryant Carrier systems made in the final 20 years or so encode the week and year of manufacture within the beginning 4 digits. The first 2 are the calendar week of the twelvemonth (1-52) and the 2nd are the yr. For case 0199 would hateful the system was fabricated the beginning week of January in 1999.
Trane/American Standard Many Trane products have the date they were manufactured right on the label in the top right corner. Start there, if there isn't a manufacturing appointment present and so expect at the serial number. There are two styles that were used within the last 20 years.
  • Style i starts with a alphabetic character which represents the manufacturing location and then two numbers which is the concluding 2 digits of the year manufactured (in 2000). For case C12A00152 ways Clarksville Plant.
  • Style 2 starts with numbers and the first ii numbers are the year. For example 1125KREAA was manufactured in 2011. This way also has the yr of industry commonly listed on the label so y'all won't need to decode the serial number.
Lennox Modern Lennox system series numbers contain iv numbers followed past a letter. The commencement 2 numbers correspond the manufactory where they were manufactured, the 2d 2 numbers are the year and the letter is the month where A is January, B is February, etc. An example would be 5800A12345. 58 is the factory, 00 represents the year 2000 and A ways information technology was manufactured in January.
Goodman Goodman serial numbers are ten digit numerical where the month and year are encoded in the first 4 digits. The year is the commencement two and the month the 2d two. For example 1404123456 is manufactured is Apr 2014.
Rheem/Ruud Mod Rheem systems use two styles of date encoded in the series number.
  • Way one starts with a letter followed past the calendar week and year of manufacture. W011012345 would exist manufactured in January of 2010.
  • Style 2 follows the letter in the centre of the serial number with the calendar week and year of manufacture. For case CB5D302F0998 would be manufactured in March of 1998.